WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.720 --> 00:00:04.480 He's deprived of Norwich, Connecticut and an adopted son of 2 00:00:04.519 --> 00:00:07.759 Salt Lake City. After forty years with the Utah Jazz, 3 00:00:08.119 --> 00:00:11.720 there's no one better to talk some hoops. Richard Smitty 4 00:00:11.759 --> 00:00:15.599 Smith is back on the drive on ESPN seven hundred. 5 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:18.879 All right, we'll get back to the breaking news regarding 6 00:00:18.920 --> 00:00:23.679 the Utah football program that Zach will Let's see Zacharias 7 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:24.600 from a year ago. 8 00:00:24.679 --> 00:00:26.199 He now goes by Zach Williams. 9 00:00:26.719 --> 00:00:29.160 He has entered the NCAA transfer portal. A lot of 10 00:00:29.199 --> 00:00:31.760 people assume that Zach would be wide receiver one for 11 00:00:31.800 --> 00:00:34.840 the Utes, a positional group that is now badly in 12 00:00:34.920 --> 00:00:38.240 need of additions prior to the transfer portal closing coming 13 00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:41.439 up on Friday. On Friday. But we'll get back to 14 00:00:41.479 --> 00:00:43.759 that coming up in a bit. Richard Smith, though, is 15 00:00:43.799 --> 00:00:47.520 now live in studio for the next hour. Smitty, Happy Tuesday, sir, 16 00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:48.520 How are you Spence? 17 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:51.520 Thank you Happy Tuesday to Did you mention earlier anything 18 00:00:51.520 --> 00:00:53.600 about me being in the portal. 19 00:00:53.640 --> 00:00:57.159 Because I'm always in the portal? Are you being tampered with? 20 00:00:57.280 --> 00:00:59.399 I don't know if that's if that's been let out 21 00:00:59.479 --> 00:01:01.479 or not, you know, but I you know, I I 22 00:01:01.600 --> 00:01:04.120 I can't go on with what I'm doing now and 23 00:01:04.120 --> 00:01:07.079 and and accept the uh, the situation I've got. I 24 00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:09.079 gotta i gotta go in and I've got to find 25 00:01:09.120 --> 00:01:11.840 out something else that's gonna gonna work for me. I 26 00:01:12.280 --> 00:01:13.959 need more money, I need more something. 27 00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:15.599 You know. Well, we wish you the best of luck. 28 00:01:15.640 --> 00:01:18.079 Well, thanks a lot, thank you. It's it's a tough 29 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:20.439 road to ho. I know, it's it's difficult. 30 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:23.560 This is a weird time in college athletics, isn't it. 31 00:01:23.560 --> 00:01:26.560 This is Spence. I couldn't tell you. I mean, it's 32 00:01:26.599 --> 00:01:29.439 it's kind of for me in my mind. It's it 33 00:01:29.519 --> 00:01:33.400 falls in a little bit similar category as the demise 34 00:01:33.439 --> 00:01:37.400 of the the PAC twelve, which is five years ago. 35 00:01:37.879 --> 00:01:39.959 You would someone would say that to you, you'd go, 36 00:01:40.200 --> 00:01:41.359 what are you talking about? 37 00:01:41.879 --> 00:01:42.840 Pact twelve? Is it going? 38 00:01:43.480 --> 00:01:46.640 What? I mean, it's a foundation of college sports, you know. 39 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:49.920 And and and one guy got a little greedy and 40 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:53.760 something something, and a few other people misread the landscape, 41 00:01:53.760 --> 00:01:55.799 and all of a sudden the thing falls apart, and 42 00:01:55.879 --> 00:01:59.120 here we are in and now in college athletics in general, 43 00:01:59.159 --> 00:02:01.439 with this uh. But the n I L stuff which 44 00:02:01.439 --> 00:02:04.959 I which I support to to a certain degree, but 45 00:02:05.079 --> 00:02:08.120 the but the whole transfer portal, that's the that's the 46 00:02:08.199 --> 00:02:12.159 nugget that I'm still having trouble grappling with. I just 47 00:02:12.280 --> 00:02:15.879 don't understand why guys are allowed to just you know, 48 00:02:16.039 --> 00:02:19.000 come and go at a whim, you know, even during 49 00:02:19.039 --> 00:02:21.439 the middle of a season whatever, and and that there's 50 00:02:21.479 --> 00:02:25.159 no no commitments that are made, that that that you're 51 00:02:25.199 --> 00:02:28.120 held to or whatever. It's just a free for all. 52 00:02:28.240 --> 00:02:31.280 That that that really, you know, it goes goes to 53 00:02:31.319 --> 00:02:34.560 the the the Jerry Seinfelt line about you know, not 54 00:02:34.680 --> 00:02:36.879 rooting for your team or your guys are just rooting 55 00:02:36.919 --> 00:02:39.560 for a bunch of laundry, you know, and whoever happens 56 00:02:39.560 --> 00:02:41.479 to be in the Union. I just saw that the 57 00:02:41.479 --> 00:02:44.680 the kid who was playing guard at Utah this past year, 58 00:02:45.120 --> 00:02:50.520 Mike Charmant. Yeah, I can never say his last name, 59 00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:52.199 and that's my that's my bad. 60 00:02:52.280 --> 00:02:53.240 But he he. 61 00:02:53.159 --> 00:02:55.639 Now is going to go to South Carolina, So now 62 00:02:55.639 --> 00:02:59.560 this is his fourth school in four years. Yep, Like 63 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:01.479 you know, I don't even know what that what is 64 00:03:01.520 --> 00:03:04.800 that that's that's that is a perfect example of what 65 00:03:05.639 --> 00:03:08.280 is going on, Like how crazy is because you're not 66 00:03:08.319 --> 00:03:12.400 talking about Kevin Durant or you're talking about Lebron James, 67 00:03:12.439 --> 00:03:15.280 You're talking about some Mike trap, you know, just like 68 00:03:15.400 --> 00:03:18.800 you know some journeyman guy who I guess literally wants 69 00:03:18.840 --> 00:03:22.639 to live by the moniker journeyman guy by going to 70 00:03:22.680 --> 00:03:23.800 a different school every year. 71 00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:26.639 Yeah, and you know, while we're in the space, let's 72 00:03:26.639 --> 00:03:30.360 stay in it for a moment. And I hate you know, like, look, 73 00:03:30.360 --> 00:03:34.560 the bottom line is things change, things progress, life moves on, 74 00:03:34.919 --> 00:03:36.879 and so I try not to exist in the space 75 00:03:36.919 --> 00:03:38.599 of what it used to be like because I know 76 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:40.120 that's an exercise in futility. 77 00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:41.639 But I do think for the community. 78 00:03:42.599 --> 00:03:46.199 One of the things that was always endearing about some 79 00:03:46.280 --> 00:03:48.560 of the youth football teams and basketball teams of the 80 00:03:48.599 --> 00:03:51.560 past was like Andre was here for a few years, 81 00:03:51.599 --> 00:03:53.560 but it was here for a few years. Doliak was 82 00:03:53.560 --> 00:03:56.000 here for a few years, man Horn. All those guys 83 00:03:56.000 --> 00:03:58.199 stuck around. Someone was stuck around for four years. And 84 00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:00.680 when they stick around, you get to know them. And 85 00:04:00.759 --> 00:04:03.080 so when the preseason rolls around, like, oh, I'm gonna 86 00:04:03.080 --> 00:04:04.560 go see Keith tonight, le we go Seeandre. 87 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:06.520 You know, oh, Britain's a senior. Can't wait to see 88 00:04:06.520 --> 00:04:06.960 what he does. 89 00:04:07.759 --> 00:04:10.240 And now you are cheering for almost a brand new 90 00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:12.280 team every single year, and I just wonder how that 91 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:13.199 lands with fans. 92 00:04:13.360 --> 00:04:17.040 Yeah, and it's it's it's really interesting because you look 93 00:04:17.079 --> 00:04:20.959 at the the attendance at games, and the attendance and 94 00:04:21.079 --> 00:04:24.519 a lot of college basketball games isn't great, you know. 95 00:04:24.639 --> 00:04:27.319 And that's why you've seen some of them that have 96 00:04:27.680 --> 00:04:31.720 either when they've changed arenas or they've remodeled the places 97 00:04:31.720 --> 00:04:35.879 they play, they actually start shrinking the seating capacities down 98 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:39.199 because they'd rather have a full house of six thousand 99 00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:42.519 than a half empty house of twelve thousand, you know whatever. 100 00:04:42.920 --> 00:04:48.319 And so it's because I think a I think there's 101 00:04:48.360 --> 00:04:50.519 just a lot of stuff going on now and in 102 00:04:50.600 --> 00:04:54.120 terms of entertainment and accessibility for people on the internet 103 00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:58.240 and and you know, through through different streaming services and 104 00:04:58.240 --> 00:05:00.959 all that kind of stuff. And I think also there's 105 00:05:01.000 --> 00:05:04.160 some element that you know, you're not as connected to 106 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:08.000 your team just because you don't know who these guys are. 107 00:05:08.079 --> 00:05:11.680 You know, you literally need a program when you walk 108 00:05:11.720 --> 00:05:13.639 in the door to figure out, you know, who your 109 00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:17.519 starting point guard is tonight and and that kind of stuff. 110 00:05:17.560 --> 00:05:20.680 And it just doesn't you know, unless you're doing something 111 00:05:20.759 --> 00:05:24.040 you know, like BYU basketball has been able to do 112 00:05:24.199 --> 00:05:28.000 the last year plus with Kevin Young and really you know, 113 00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:31.639 stoke the fires with some big name recruits and getting 114 00:05:31.680 --> 00:05:34.560 guys like that, And it's hard to get any traction 115 00:05:34.759 --> 00:05:38.079 and to get going unless you can put something together 116 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:41.199 where you where you do like Rick Patino, Saint John's 117 00:05:41.240 --> 00:05:44.279 and and re energize that base and all of a sudden, 118 00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:46.920 you guy's in and boom the twenty one and two 119 00:05:47.120 --> 00:05:50.480 and everybody's going okay, all right, you know, And unless 120 00:05:50.519 --> 00:05:52.639 you do something like that, it's really hard, I think, 121 00:05:52.680 --> 00:05:54.839 to get any traction with your fan base. 122 00:05:55.160 --> 00:05:58.279 So and from a coaching standpoint, I mean, you know, 123 00:05:58.480 --> 00:06:01.360 in the pros, you're gonna lose players via free agency, 124 00:06:01.639 --> 00:06:03.519 you're gonna lose players via trade, or you. 125 00:06:03.560 --> 00:06:06.079 Draft some guys. It didn't work out, But. 126 00:06:06.040 --> 00:06:08.360 It's impossible to build a team year over year when 127 00:06:08.360 --> 00:06:11.000 you literally have nobody coming back, like Scott Drewe has 128 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:14.480 zero players balor lost everybody. But I did want to 129 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:16.800 kick the tires now that we kind of have a 130 00:06:16.839 --> 00:06:19.120 feel for the bulk of Alex's staff. 131 00:06:19.600 --> 00:06:20.439 Alex Jensen. 132 00:06:20.519 --> 00:06:22.639 The MAVs lose to the grizz last Friday, and so 133 00:06:22.720 --> 00:06:25.399 Alex now has his full time and energy allocated to 134 00:06:25.959 --> 00:06:27.879 his job as the utah Ns basketball coach. 135 00:06:28.319 --> 00:06:30.199 So coach Chillius, who we've. 136 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:33.040 Talked about, Eric Daniels, Donnie's kid is on the staff, 137 00:06:33.720 --> 00:06:35.839 Martin Schiller, who you know you worked with, and then 138 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:39.240 Rico Silvester was named director of ops as well. So 139 00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:42.079 I don't know how many other additions Alex is gonna make. 140 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:44.040 He's on record saying he doesn't want to have one 141 00:06:44.040 --> 00:06:46.920 of these crazy eight coaches on the front row, eight 142 00:06:46.959 --> 00:06:48.800 coaches on the second row, four on the third or 143 00:06:48.800 --> 00:06:51.519 whatever it is, seven. 144 00:06:51.279 --> 00:06:52.560 Roster spots available. 145 00:06:52.720 --> 00:06:55.959 We just don't know much about the roster right now, 146 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:58.040 so it's hard to analyze the team. But from a 147 00:06:58.399 --> 00:07:00.519 staff standpoint, you know a lot of these guys. What 148 00:07:00.560 --> 00:07:02.079 do you think of the way Alex is handling it? 149 00:07:02.120 --> 00:07:04.199 Well, what he's been able to do Spencer's set up 150 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:08.240 at least his staff and from the recruiting, UH part 151 00:07:08.279 --> 00:07:11.000 of it UH being able to get guys who are 152 00:07:11.399 --> 00:07:14.240 well versed in each of the different areas. And by that, 153 00:07:14.319 --> 00:07:17.120 I mean you're talking about high school recruiting. So you're 154 00:07:17.120 --> 00:07:20.079 talking about Eric Daniels, who's on the staff, who's been 155 00:07:20.279 --> 00:07:23.160 been on the staff of a couple of other in 156 00:07:23.279 --> 00:07:26.360 state schools, the Weaver State, Utah State, Utah Valley. He's 157 00:07:26.360 --> 00:07:29.720 all he's he's got the pulse of the in state kids, 158 00:07:30.120 --> 00:07:34.120 the AAU programs, the high school teams UH in the States, 159 00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:37.720 so he's got that covered. You've got Raphael Chilius, who's 160 00:07:37.800 --> 00:07:41.920 a big time recruiter nationwide, so he has all the 161 00:07:42.040 --> 00:07:45.680 contacts on the on the grassroots level through the AAU, 162 00:07:45.800 --> 00:07:48.600 through the E Y b L, the Nike Adidas programs 163 00:07:48.639 --> 00:07:51.199 around the country, so he knows all of those guys, 164 00:07:51.240 --> 00:07:54.040 so he can tap into his resources there. And then 165 00:07:54.040 --> 00:07:57.240 you've got Martin Schiller who's on the staff, who's who's 166 00:07:57.240 --> 00:08:01.079 a from Germany. As you know, Spence several years coaching 167 00:08:01.120 --> 00:08:03.759 the Jazz g League team here in the Salt Lake, 168 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:07.560 but otherwise most of his coaching career has been over 169 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:10.600 in Europe, and so he knows the landscape of the 170 00:08:10.639 --> 00:08:15.360 European youth academies, which are very strong. That's where Luka Doncic, 171 00:08:15.480 --> 00:08:18.920 Nikola Jokic I, Vaka Zubats all those guys went through 172 00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:23.160 different youth academies over in Europe and Martin has the 173 00:08:23.199 --> 00:08:26.560 pulse on the guys who were over there who might 174 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:29.160 have an interest in coming and playing at the NCAA 175 00:08:29.279 --> 00:08:32.440 level when they got out of that youth academy program, 176 00:08:32.440 --> 00:08:36.120 which typically is for kids basically high school age fourteen 177 00:08:36.159 --> 00:08:39.200 to eighteen year olds. So they've got all of those 178 00:08:39.320 --> 00:08:44.279 layers covered from the recruiting and outsource outreach basis. So 179 00:08:44.440 --> 00:08:46.759 now it's a matter of those guys being able to 180 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:49.679 tap into those areas and see what they can come 181 00:08:49.759 --> 00:08:52.240 up with in terms of formulating a team for the youths. 182 00:08:52.639 --> 00:08:57.039 So we'll save our second segment to do playoffs the 183 00:08:57.080 --> 00:08:59.159 games that have been played and will previous some of 184 00:08:59.159 --> 00:09:01.000 the games that are going on tonight in this week. 185 00:09:01.559 --> 00:09:05.000 But for our jazz fan listeners out there this time 186 00:09:05.039 --> 00:09:08.120 of year, third straight spring where no playoff basketball is 187 00:09:08.159 --> 00:09:10.000 in Salt Lake, which is always a bummer because it's 188 00:09:10.000 --> 00:09:12.960 one of my favorite things to have the playoffs here. 189 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:16.600 It's fun, I mean, if nothing else, is just really 190 00:09:16.600 --> 00:09:18.840 fun and that building is great when the playoffs are here. 191 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:21.399 And it's been a while since the playoffs have been 192 00:09:21.399 --> 00:09:23.919 in Utah. Hopefully the drought isn't taking too long. But 193 00:09:24.360 --> 00:09:28.480 when the playoffs aren't your reality? What are the meetings? 194 00:09:28.720 --> 00:09:30.679 What are the boxes that need to be checked? What 195 00:09:31.320 --> 00:09:32.919 did I make you laugh? Did I tell Joe. 196 00:09:33.000 --> 00:09:36.240 No, no, no, no, you're saying that I'm smiling because 197 00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:39.200 I'm reflecting just for myself. This weekend, I was in 198 00:09:39.279 --> 00:09:41.879 my house. I was in the front of fact, I 199 00:09:41.919 --> 00:09:44.519 was finishing up the Tim McMahon book, very nice, and 200 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:47.919 it was a sunny out. It was bright, and and 201 00:09:48.200 --> 00:09:50.200 I look at the clock and it's like seven thirty 202 00:09:50.240 --> 00:09:53.279 in the evening, early evening, and I go think to myself, well, 203 00:09:53.320 --> 00:09:56.200 it's still light out at seven thirty. Wow, it's you know, 204 00:09:57.039 --> 00:09:59.679 I don't know why, it seems like it's lighter, you know, 205 00:10:00.679 --> 00:10:03.919 later in April whatever. And I was thinking about that 206 00:10:03.960 --> 00:10:06.480 for whatever reason. And then it dawned on me that 207 00:10:06.639 --> 00:10:10.000 this time of year. I've been so used to in 208 00:10:10.039 --> 00:10:15.639 my life never being outside or seeing the sun during 209 00:10:15.759 --> 00:10:19.320 April or in May, because I was always either in 210 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:22.759 a film room or a draft meeting or a playoff 211 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:25.720 you know meeting, or on the road traveling and you 212 00:10:25.840 --> 00:10:28.080 with the team or whatever. So I never got to 213 00:10:28.120 --> 00:10:30.679 be able to sit in my front room and read 214 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:33.200 a book and go, oh, it's still it's light out 215 00:10:33.279 --> 00:10:33.840 early evening. 216 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:34.879 Well that's interesting. 217 00:10:35.159 --> 00:10:37.840 Yeah, well that's I mean, you were a part of 218 00:10:37.879 --> 00:10:40.440 an organization that more often than not was involved in 219 00:10:40.480 --> 00:10:43.799 spring basketball. And I've always loved the spring because I 220 00:10:43.840 --> 00:10:47.240 love spring basketball, and some of my fondest memories are 221 00:10:47.279 --> 00:10:49.240 being at the Delta Center or the Garden or whatever 222 00:10:49.360 --> 00:10:51.919 for playoff basketball comes spring and I miss it. 223 00:10:52.039 --> 00:10:52.559 Not gonna lie. 224 00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:54.440 I hope it comes back at some point and not 225 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:56.159 in five or six years, and part of me is 226 00:10:56.200 --> 00:10:58.480 afraid that it's gonna be that long. But when you're 227 00:10:58.480 --> 00:11:02.279 not in the playoffs, when you're not involved in the tournament, 228 00:11:03.200 --> 00:11:05.679 what are the points of emphasis? What's going on behind 229 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:06.919 closed doors with the Jazz right now? 230 00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:10.200 Yeah, So the Jazz right now, they're they're organizing all 231 00:11:10.200 --> 00:11:13.799 their ducks in terms of starting to look at who 232 00:11:13.879 --> 00:11:17.120 they may want to try and bring in for workouts 233 00:11:17.519 --> 00:11:22.240 during the workout portion of the draft process, which which 234 00:11:22.279 --> 00:11:26.799 typically begins right around or right after the the NBA 235 00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:29.039 Draft Combine, which will be in the middle of May. 236 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:32.679 Sometimes you have a few workouts before that just to 237 00:11:32.720 --> 00:11:36.000 get a feel for your staff about how you're going 238 00:11:36.039 --> 00:11:39.120 to organize those kind of things. This year, I think 239 00:11:39.159 --> 00:11:43.000 it'll be particularly busy for them because the Jazz have 240 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:46.559 four draft picks, two in the first round, two in 241 00:11:46.559 --> 00:11:49.559 the second round, and they are spread all over the draft. 242 00:11:49.600 --> 00:11:52.639 They could potentially have the first pick if that comes up, 243 00:11:52.679 --> 00:11:55.600 if the lottery gods are with them on May twelfth, 244 00:11:55.879 --> 00:11:57.440 and it goes all the way to the fifty to 245 00:11:57.480 --> 00:12:01.320 fifth pick in the second round. So they're all over 246 00:12:01.360 --> 00:12:04.240 the draft board as far as options they have at 247 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:07.559 this moment, and so unless they make some trade, some movements, 248 00:12:07.559 --> 00:12:10.840 which could always happen, they're starting to cover all of 249 00:12:10.879 --> 00:12:14.879 those areas. They're watching film, they're getting there all that 250 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:19.360 stuff organized draft books together with all the information on 251 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:21.720 all the guys who have entered their name into the 252 00:12:21.799 --> 00:12:25.000 into the draft process. Now that can change, and that's 253 00:12:25.039 --> 00:12:28.879 always an evolving process because guys will put their name 254 00:12:28.919 --> 00:12:31.159 in the draft and then they'll they'll pull it out 255 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:35.159 if they don't get certain kinds of response in terms 256 00:12:35.159 --> 00:12:37.240 of where they might go in the draft and go 257 00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:40.120 back to college. And that's also a process, and there's 258 00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:43.200 deadlines for that to come up toward the end of May. 259 00:12:43.240 --> 00:12:46.240 And then you have the international guys who who it 260 00:12:46.279 --> 00:12:48.879 can withdraw from the draft. Ten days before the draft, 261 00:12:48.919 --> 00:12:52.159 so they can go in until whatever the date is 262 00:12:52.200 --> 00:12:54.679 this year, June tenth or June twelfth, and then they 263 00:12:54.759 --> 00:12:57.000 can pull out. So but you have to have all 264 00:12:57.039 --> 00:13:01.279 that homework done in front of you, and you're not 265 00:13:01.399 --> 00:13:03.799 playing catch up at the last minute. And for the 266 00:13:03.879 --> 00:13:06.159 jazz issue is not such a big deal. You know, 267 00:13:06.240 --> 00:13:09.879 everybody looking at that potential, that lottery pick and hoping 268 00:13:09.919 --> 00:13:12.639 that they get one of the top picks. But they've 269 00:13:12.679 --> 00:13:14.440 got a lot of picks this year, and a lot 270 00:13:14.440 --> 00:13:17.879 of stuff that they've got to cover and and and 271 00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:21.480 make sure that they they have all their te's crossing, 272 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:24.399 their eyes dotted and so so this is an important 273 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:28.799 part right now, before you get into the draft combine, 274 00:13:28.960 --> 00:13:32.679 before you get into the euro camp, which will take 275 00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:35.639 place a week or so after that over in Europe 276 00:13:35.639 --> 00:13:39.720 and Treviso, Italy, get into all the workout stuff that 277 00:13:39.759 --> 00:13:43.600 you're going to have to plan and and and execute 278 00:13:44.039 --> 00:13:45.279 during from mid. 279 00:13:45.159 --> 00:13:47.720 May to mid June. So all those kind of things 280 00:13:47.799 --> 00:13:48.600 are in front of you. 281 00:13:48.679 --> 00:13:51.480 So you're trying to get a lot of your scouting, 282 00:13:52.039 --> 00:13:56.559 film work organization, all that stuff in place now so 283 00:13:56.600 --> 00:13:59.919 that you can when you get to those points in 284 00:14:00.120 --> 00:14:02.919 time of the process, you can just start checking all 285 00:14:02.919 --> 00:14:05.679 those boxes and make sure you got all your bases covered. 286 00:14:05.960 --> 00:14:09.440 Let's talk about what players go through when they go 287 00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:12.320 through the pre draft process, because we were talking a 288 00:14:12.320 --> 00:14:16.240 little college hoops earlier and Richie Saunders has not decided 289 00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:18.519 yet whether or not he's coming back to Brigham Young. 290 00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:21.960 Now the reports are BYU badly wants him back and 291 00:14:21.960 --> 00:14:24.360 they're willing to pay him seven figures to put him 292 00:14:24.360 --> 00:14:27.879 alongside aj De Bonsa as well as you know, some 293 00:14:27.919 --> 00:14:29.399 of the other players they have coming in. It's a 294 00:14:29.399 --> 00:14:32.200 good recruiting class, one of the top ten. But Richie's 295 00:14:32.200 --> 00:14:35.360 twenty three years old, and so you know at this point, 296 00:14:35.440 --> 00:14:38.200 if he has an opportunity to play NBA basketball, it 297 00:14:38.279 --> 00:14:41.159 might behoove him to start the process now because you 298 00:14:41.159 --> 00:14:43.480 want to get to that second contract. I don't know 299 00:14:43.480 --> 00:14:45.200 what kind of pro Richie is. He had a really 300 00:14:45.200 --> 00:14:49.120 good year last year. But what for our listeners, for 301 00:14:49.159 --> 00:14:51.759 the context, what's Richie going through right now as he 302 00:14:51.799 --> 00:14:52.840 goes through this process. 303 00:14:52.879 --> 00:14:55.519 What does this look and feel like for BYU fans 304 00:14:55.559 --> 00:14:55.799 out there. 305 00:14:55.919 --> 00:14:58.879 Yeah, so what he's probably going through right now is 306 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:03.480 if he hasn't already what he should be doing is 307 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:05.720 putting his name. And this is my opinion. Now I 308 00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:08.000 don't I don't know anything about Richie or or what 309 00:15:08.120 --> 00:15:10.240 he and his family are thinking about the process. 310 00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:12.440 But I've always said. 311 00:15:12.200 --> 00:15:15.919 This all along, whenever the NBA started this, uh, this 312 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:18.120 process where you had a date where you could pull out. 313 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:23.039 I don't know why every single college player doesn't put 314 00:15:23.039 --> 00:15:25.559 their name in the draft. I mean, you don't lose 315 00:15:25.639 --> 00:15:28.480 anything in the press. Even if you're you know, the 316 00:15:29.240 --> 00:15:33.799 fourth guy off the bench for a middling team Weaver 317 00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:36.720 State or Utah or whoever it is, you know you 318 00:15:36.759 --> 00:15:38.720 should put your name in the draft because maybe there's 319 00:15:38.759 --> 00:15:40.840 a team that wants to take a look at you. 320 00:15:41.159 --> 00:15:43.639 So if you put your name in, then Spence, you 321 00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:46.879 could get invited to workouts and a lot of teams 322 00:15:46.960 --> 00:15:49.679 need guys, you know, you know what we call filler 323 00:15:49.759 --> 00:15:53.240 guys to do workouts when they're bringing in, like say, 324 00:15:53.279 --> 00:15:55.480 a couple of big boys, and all of a sudden 325 00:15:55.480 --> 00:15:59.159 they need another guy for the workout two days from now, 326 00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:01.879 and because a guy dropped out, so they call a 327 00:16:01.960 --> 00:16:04.559 kid from Weber, they call a kid from Utah Valley 328 00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:07.440 or whoever it is, who might whose eligibility might be 329 00:16:07.519 --> 00:16:09.360 uple or who might have put their name in and 330 00:16:09.399 --> 00:16:11.480 you bring them in for workouts. So maybe they do 331 00:16:11.559 --> 00:16:15.440 something and they catch an eye of somebody. But at 332 00:16:15.440 --> 00:16:18.799 the very least you get some feedback from from the 333 00:16:18.919 --> 00:16:22.679 NBA personnel people who can tell you, hey, we like 334 00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:25.799 this about your game. We think this is a shortcoming, 335 00:16:25.919 --> 00:16:27.919 we think this is something you need to work on. 336 00:16:28.360 --> 00:16:31.720 And so if you're a Richie Saunders, I would think 337 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:34.279 that if I was advising him, I would say, you know, 338 00:16:34.360 --> 00:16:36.759 you should be putting your name in. You should go 339 00:16:36.840 --> 00:16:41.039 through that process. You could probably get you know a 340 00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:45.360 number of workouts, you know, four, five, six, eight workouts 341 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:49.840 with the NBA teams, get feedback from them, hey, this 342 00:16:49.919 --> 00:16:51.759 is what we like about your game, this is what 343 00:16:51.799 --> 00:16:54.240 we think you need to improve on, this is what 344 00:16:54.279 --> 00:16:57.000 you need to do, and also get feedback from them 345 00:16:57.039 --> 00:17:00.279 about what they think his situation is relative to his 346 00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:04.480 age and and and what his what his role would 347 00:17:04.519 --> 00:17:08.079 be uh in an NBA program. Then he can look 348 00:17:08.119 --> 00:17:11.119 at all that information and he can make a decision 349 00:17:11.559 --> 00:17:15.519 the day before you have to make the college decision 350 00:17:15.519 --> 00:17:17.880 about whether you're coming back or not, and he can 351 00:17:17.880 --> 00:17:21.160 look at that and go, well, I'm encouraged by what 352 00:17:21.240 --> 00:17:23.359 the NBA teams are telling me, and I think I 353 00:17:23.440 --> 00:17:27.759 want to go for this, or the NBA teams are 354 00:17:27.799 --> 00:17:29.599 telling me, I need to work on A, B and 355 00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:32.880 C and this is really important to me. And if 356 00:17:32.920 --> 00:17:35.480 I can, if I can figure out how to improve 357 00:17:35.559 --> 00:17:38.400 those areas that they're telling me about, then maybe that 358 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:43.200 improves my draft stock for next year and I can 359 00:17:43.240 --> 00:17:46.839 come back to b YU and and in the past, Spence, 360 00:17:47.279 --> 00:17:49.680 you know this was, you know, five years ago, eight 361 00:17:49.799 --> 00:17:53.000 years ago, you're if you're a Richie Saunders, You're making 362 00:17:53.079 --> 00:17:56.359 a decision about do I want to try and get 363 00:17:56.359 --> 00:17:59.480 to the NBA where I can make some money whatever 364 00:17:59.519 --> 00:18:01.680 that's going to be, even if I'm a fringe guy 365 00:18:01.960 --> 00:18:05.319 or something like that, because all I got going on 366 00:18:05.400 --> 00:18:08.599 in college is my scholarship and my room and board 367 00:18:08.680 --> 00:18:12.680 or whatever. Now it's a different story. You know, do 368 00:18:12.759 --> 00:18:15.079 I get drafted in the NBA. Am I going to 369 00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:18.319 be a late second round fringe guy who might make 370 00:18:18.359 --> 00:18:21.200 the team, might not? Or do I go take what 371 00:18:21.240 --> 00:18:24.880 they're telling me as feedback, go back to college for 372 00:18:24.920 --> 00:18:29.319 another year, get my nil money, which is very nice 373 00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:31.920 at the moment, and I can do that working on 374 00:18:31.960 --> 00:18:35.839 the stuff they're telling me about with my coaching staff 375 00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:40.400 at college and then reposition myself for a year from now. 376 00:18:40.480 --> 00:18:43.480 So those are the things that he'll be going through 377 00:18:43.559 --> 00:18:47.079 and processing with his family to see what makes sense 378 00:18:47.079 --> 00:18:48.359 for him. 379 00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:50.519 Richie is not on any of the mock drafts that 380 00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:54.160 I've seen, including second round, second round mock drafts. 381 00:18:54.200 --> 00:18:57.480 And I know mock drafts are somewhere somewhat silly. 382 00:18:57.599 --> 00:19:00.759 Whoever's doing it, they're missing it. So do you think, oh, yeah, no, no, no, 383 00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:03.279 I love I love I love him. He's I'm not 384 00:19:03.319 --> 00:19:05.400 saying he's gonna be a star or anything, but he's 385 00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:10.079 an NBA guy. If Sam Merrill is an NBA guy, okay, 386 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:14.799 and Sam Merrill is playing a rotational piece on one 387 00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:16.960 of the best teams in the NBA. He's had to 388 00:19:17.039 --> 00:19:20.039 work at it, you know, he's been cut from several teams. 389 00:19:20.039 --> 00:19:22.759 He's been in and out, in and out, but he's 390 00:19:22.799 --> 00:19:25.200 worked at it and he's put himself in a very 391 00:19:25.240 --> 00:19:28.640 good position right with a with a winning team and 392 00:19:28.799 --> 00:19:32.720 has a role with that team. Richie Saunders to me 393 00:19:33.440 --> 00:19:37.519 is uh is an active guy. He's a fearless guy. 394 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:41.039 He works hard. One of the things I noticed especially 395 00:19:41.119 --> 00:19:43.559 in the in the NCAA tournament that I hadn't I 396 00:19:43.720 --> 00:19:46.480 hadn't seen. I've seen some of but it didn't stand 397 00:19:46.519 --> 00:19:49.000 out to me as much during his regular season games 398 00:19:49.039 --> 00:19:52.559 until until the tournament. But he can get in the lane, 399 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:57.480 and he can finish a La Carlos Boozer with either 400 00:19:57.559 --> 00:20:01.599 hand in traffic and and so efficiently. And he's a 401 00:20:01.720 --> 00:20:05.000